


There to See

by out_there



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-03-02
Updated: 2004-03-02
Packaged: 2017-10-07 15:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/out_there/pseuds/out_there
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"If you looked carefully you could see that the way he acted told a completely different story."<br/>(Snape/Hagrid from Hermione's POV.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	There to See

Knowledge was important, and not all of it was kept in books. Sometimes, you had to watch to learn. Really, she didn't understand why the others never seemed to realise it. If you know what you are dealing with, it makes it much easier to win. Not that she thought about life in terms of winning and losing, not really. Just, it was easier to... succeed when you had knowledge on your side. You knew what you needed to do to be successful, and what mistakes it was best to avoid.

Take Harry, for instance. Hermione knew not to comment on the fact that he watched Draco as much as Draco watched him. There was no point in telling Harry that sometimes, when they caught each other's eye, they both blushed. There was more between them than rivalry. She knew that there was a fair amount of jealousy and lust there, too. Sometimes, she thought that what she saw was really longing and love, or the beginnings of it at least, but she couldn't be certain.

Noticing things like this wasn't being nosey or gossiping. It was paying attention, being observant. It was sensible. It really was... regardless of what Ron might say.

It was the same as knowing that it was best to avoid Snape as much as possible. It was practical to know that if they were thinking about going over to Hagrid's for some tea, that Snape would be there on a Tuesday morning, or a Thursday afternoon, and would not be pleased to see them. It just made sense to know about these things.

They had made that mistake once, and Hagrid had still invited them in, even as Snape glared at them. However, their next potions class was simply torturous. But even as Snape had made his displeasure at their arrival known, she had still noticed things.

She noticed that Snape glared at them, but his eyes softened when he watched Hagrid. His voice held that same mocking tone, but there was a smoothness underlying that when he spoke to Hagrid.

Hagrid himself was just as friendly, just as open, with Snape as he was with everyone. It wasn't unusual for Hagrid to fuss over the cups of tea that he poured, but he still looked a little... flustered when he handed one to Snape, and Snape's small smirk wasn't as cruel as it should have been. Really, if it wasn't Snape, she would have said that the almost-smile was fond.

She still thought that the most telling thing was how Snape sat in Hagrid's hut. Snape who always wore his robes tightly buttoned, who used his words and actions like weapons, to make the right effect and strike the target, relaxed into the large chair as if he was used to it.

It was strange to see Snape looking so at ease. He never looked that comfortable in a classroom, whether it was empty or crowded. For that matter, he never looked that comfortable anywhere else in Hogwarts. Just in Hagrid's oversized chair.

It was as if the tension dissolved out of him. He still glared at them, and made sure that his comments were as insulting as possible, but the strain across his shoulders, and the rod that kept his back up straight, seemed to have melted into the steam from the kettle.

She couldn't help thinking that Snape was lot like Harry and Draco. Regardless of the nasty comments that you might hear, if you looked carefully you could see that the way he acted told a completely different story.

These were the things that Ron didn't realise. He probably wouldn't believe even if she told him, because he just didn't see it happening. Draco would have been nasty, and said that Ron didn't have the brains to see two foot in front of him, but Hermione didn't agree. She was fairly sure it was just because he spent most of his time looking at her.


End file.
